A meta-evaluative synthesis of the effects of custodial and community-based offender rehabilitation

Koehler J, Lösel F (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

European Journal of Criminology SAGE Publications (UK and US)

DOI: 10.1177/14773708241256501

Abstract

We synthesize 53 meta-analyses on the effectiveness of correctional treatment applied to a wide variety of offender groups delivered in either custodial or community-based settings. Those meta-analyses revealed positive overall effects on reoffending of correctional treatment delivered in both settings. However, the treatment setting is also associated with complex moderator effects. With respect to effect size, for most groups, community-based correctional treatment is associated with statistically significant larger reductions in reoffending than treatments delivered in custodial settings. With respect to effect precision, custodial treatments report more consistent effects on reoffending than community-based treatments. The findings extend and develop the insight that treatment flexibility, such as is found among community-based treatments, can optimize program effectiveness. Likewise, the opportunities for monitoring and treatment fidelity that custodial settings enable can homogenize outcomes. Nonetheless, the promising results observed among treatments delivered both inside and outside institutional settings implicate a complex policy tradeoff between prioritizing strong performance and consistent effects.

Authors with CRIS profile

Friedrich Lösel

Involved external institutions

The London School of Economics and Political Science GB United Kingdom (GB) University of Cambridge GB United Kingdom (GB)

How to cite

APA:

Koehler, J., & Lösel, F. (2024). A meta-evaluative synthesis of the effects of custodial and community-based offender rehabilitation. European Journal of Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1177/14773708241256501

MLA:

Koehler, Johann, and Friedrich Lösel. "A meta-evaluative synthesis of the effects of custodial and community-based offender rehabilitation." European Journal of Criminology (2024).

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